Unintentional Consequences
by jackwabbit
Summary: Vignette. Team, Gen, Humor, Friendship. Season: Early, but non-specific. Spoilers: None. Summary: A storm, some snark, and a practical joke. What’s the best that can happen?


**Unintentional Consequences**

Rated: PG-13 (mild language).

Category: Vignette (1013 words). Team, Gen, Humor.

Season: Early, but non-specific.

Spoilers: None.

Summary: A storm, some snark, and a practical joke. What's the best that can happen?

Note: Written for the four word prompt: Slipper, Snowdrop, Fireplace, Tomorrow.

---

"Hey, Daniel, toss me those slippers, will ya?"

At Jack's words, Daniel merely raised an eyebrow. He was firmly ensconced in his chair by the fireplace, with a blanket over his lap and a book in his hand. Jack was in a similar position in his chair, and while the slippers were indeed just a bit closer to Daniel, neither man could reach them without getting up. It was the same amount of work for either of them. So Daniel just stared at Jack for a moment before finally answering.

"Oh, is your knee hurting you again?"

Jack answered without thinking. "No, why?"

"Oh, I just thought that since it was obviously too much trouble for you to get up and get them yourself, something must be wrong. I could call Janet, you know. I don't mind."

Now it was Jack's turn to stare. The look he gave Daniel could have melted most steel, but Daniel just smiled back at Jack with a mischievous glint in his eye.

Finally, Jack snarled and kicked his recliner footrest down. Then he stood and retrieved the slippers with far more force than was needed while Daniel tried not to chuckle.

Jack slid the house shoes on his feet and settled back into his chair, grumbling all the while.

"Geez! The price a man pays for having cold feet around here," he groused.

"Well, that's what you get for going out in the snow barefoot," said Daniel, who was smirking away in his chair.

"It was only for a second," said Jack. Someone had to get the paper. And what snow?"

Daniel gaped at Jack. "The snow that's coming down outside? The snow that kept us here in this winter wonderland for an extra day because we can't drive home?"

"That's not snow," said Jack. "It's rain. It's managed to stay just warm enough out there to make it really miserable and wet without even the prettiness of snow. Besides, I'd drive out of here if it was just snow. That's not a problem. But when that crap out there freezes tonight, the roads are going to be nothing but huge skating rinks. Nice for hockey, but bad for driving. And did I mention it's miserable?"

Jack sneezed as if to make a point. Daniel considered some sympathy, but his devilish side got the better of him and his grin didn't fade.

"Looks like snow to me," he argued.

"Well, it's not. Trust me. I know snow, and that's not it. It's wetter than snow and it's not fluffy and white."

"But it's not rain," said Daniel. "It's accumulating on the ground."

"That doesn't make it snow. Maybe it's part snow, but it's not real snow."

"Oh, so it's fake snow, then?"

Jack glared at Daniel. "No, Daniel, it's not fake snow. Call it sleet. Or wintry mix, or whatever else you want to call it, but don't call it snow."

It took Daniel a second to respond, but when he did, he was all sarcasm. "So, if it's wintry mix, what's coming out of the sky? Raindrops or snowflakes? It's not a mix of both. It's something in between, right?"

Jack snorted. "Oh, hell, Daniel, I don't know! Ask the weatherman! Look it up online! Just leave me be, will ya?"

"But I thought you knew snow, Jack. Don't you know?" Daniel was clearly enjoying himself.

Jack waved a hand in the air. "Oh, right. They're, um, snowdrops. There. You happy now? Snowdrops. They're snowdrops."

At that moment, a new voice broke into the conservation.

"Um, sir?"

Jack turned halfway around in his chair to glare at Carter, who was playing with her laptop on the couch behind him.

"What?" he asked, with more than a touch of annoyance.

"Well, it's just that a snowdrop is a flower. That's all."

Daniel burst out laughing at Sam's sudden entrance into the talk, but Jack wasn't amused.

"Oh, for crying out loud!" exclaimed Jack. "That's what they call freezing rain droplets, too! They're snowdrops!"

Sam shook her head. "I don't think so, sir."

"Yes, they are."

"No, they're not."

"Yes, they… no. I'm not doing this right now."

"That's because you know she's right," said Daniel.

"Alright! That's it!" said Jack. "I don't have to listen to this! Teal'c had the right idea when he turned in early to do his thing. I'm going to bed!"

Sam managed to reply with barely a smile. "Good night, sir."

"Yeah, see you tomorrow, Jack," said Daniel, with his own admirable impression of a straight face.

Jack waved one hand at them and left. As soon as he was out of earshot, Daniel turned to Sam.

"You know what we have to do, right?"

The wicked grin Sam gave him was all the answer he needed.

---

The next day, the weather cleared up and SG-1 drove home, but the previous night's conversation was not forgotten. Though it took them a week, Sam and Daniel made good on the plans they'd made after Jack's departure that night.

For when Jack O'Neill entered his office the following Tuesday, he found a small blue vase on his desk, complete with three white flowers. The attached card read:

"Common snowdrop, _Galanthus nivalis_, grows to around 7–15 cm tall, flowering between January and April in the northern temperate zone (January–May in the wild)."

It was typed and unsigned, but there was no doubt as to its origin.

There was also no doubt that Jack would get his archeologist and his astrophysicist back for this little prank, but for now, he had only one response.

He laughed.

And as he did, like a bit of freezing precipitation in the sun, a bit of the Jack O'Neill that first went to Abydos with a geeky academic melted away. In its place was a little sliver of a man who would come to love that geek, his even geekier 2IC, and an alien like family.

All in all, though it was unintentional, that wasn't a bad piece of work for two jokers and three flowers.

Not bad at all.

---

A/N: Note that this fic does not say where it takes place. Since we all know Sam didn't get to Jack's cabin until "Threads," and this fic is obviously set way earlier than that, I propose a random weekend getaway location that's within driving distance. I don't think that's out of the realm of possibility for early SG-1. Hope you all agree and enjoyed this, and happy new year to all!


End file.
